Apparatus and method to form ultrafine features on glass

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming ultrafine features on a glass surface. The method and apparatus for forming ultrafine features on a glass surface are configured to directly pressurize a mold with a transmission unit or to pressurize the mold with a fluid using the transmission unit, so the mold may pressurize the glass surface with a uniform force.

1 . An apparatus for forming ultrafine features on a glass surface, comprising:
 a lower support part;   glass that is disposed above the lower support part;   a mold that is made of a transparent material covering an upper surface of the glass through which an infrared laser is transmitted;   an inlet part that transports a fluid;   an upper support part that has a hole formed to penetrate through upper and lower portions, seals an outer periphery of an upper surface of the mold so that the mold is positioned under the hole, and is provided with a passage having one side communicating with the hole and the other side connected to the inlet part;   a transmission unit that seals an upper portion of the hole and transmits an infrared laser; and   a laser irradiation unit that irradiates an infrared laser to the upper portion of the transmission unit,   wherein, when the upper support part seals the outer periphery of the upper surface of the mold, the fluid transported from the inlet part passes through the passage and is introduced into the hole to pressurize the upper surface of the mold.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lower support part includes a first heating unit that heats the lower support part, and the upper support part includes a second heating unit that heats the upper support part. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the fluid is transported from the inlet part and introduced into the hole is air. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the mold is made of any one of silicon (Si), diamond, germanium (Ge), zinc selenide (ZnSe), zinc sulfide (ZnS), gallium arsenide (GaAs), sodium chloride (NaCl), gallium bromide (KBr), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), or thallium bromoiodide (KRS-5), and the transmission unit is made of any one of silicon (Si), diamond, germanium (Ge), zinc selenide (ZnSe), zinc sulfide (ZnS), gallium arsenide (GaAs), sodium chloride (NaCl), gallium bromide (KBr), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), or thallium bromoiodide (KRS-5). 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for forming ultrafine features on a glass surface, comprising:
 a lower support part;   glass that is disposed above the lower support part;   a mold that is made of a transparent material covering an upper surface of the glass through which an infrared laser is transmitted;   a transmission unit that is made of a transparent material covering an upper surface of the mold through which an infrared laser is transmitted;   an upper support part that is coupled to an outer periphery of the transmission unit to support the transmission unit; and   a laser irradiation unit that irradiates an infrared laser to the upper portion of the transmission unit,   wherein the lower support part pressurizes the glass upward so that the upper surface of the glass is pressurized by the mold.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the lower support part includes a third heating unit that heats the lower support part, and the upper support part includes a fourth heating unit that heats the upper support part. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the transmission unit is formed to be depressed upward. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the upper support part protrudes upward from the transmission unit so that a groove is formed between the upper support part and the upper outer periphery of the transmission unit, and a support member is installed in the groove so that the upper support part pressurizes the upper outer periphery of the transmission unit. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the mold is made of any one of silicon (Si), diamond, germanium (Ge), zinc selenide (ZnSe), zinc sulfide (ZnS), gallium arsenide (GaAs), sodium chloride (NaCl), gallium bromide (KBr), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), or thallium bromoiodide (KRS-5), and the transmission unit is made of any one of silicon (Si), diamond, germanium (Ge), zinc selenide (ZnSe), zinc sulfide (ZnS), gallium arsenide (GaAs), sodium chloride (NaCl), gallium bromide (KBr), barium fluoride (BaF 2 ), or thallium bromoiodide (KRS-5). 
     
     
         10 . A method for forming ultrafine features on a glass surface, comprising:
 a first step of disposing glass above a lower support part;   a second step of covering the glass surface with a mold made of a transparent material through which an infrared laser is transmitted;   a third step of sealing an outer periphery of an upper surface of the mold with an upper support part that has a hole formed to penetrate through upper and lower portions, seals the outer periphery of the upper surface of the mold so that the mold is positioned under the hole, and is provided with a passage having one side communicating with the hole and the other side connected to the inlet part through which a fluid is transported;   a fourth step of sealing an upper portion of the hole with a transmission unit through which the infrared laser is transmitted;   a fifth step of pressurizing the upper surface of the mold by allowing a fluid transported from the inlet part to pass through the passage and the fluid to be introduced into the hole; and   a sixth step of irradiating an infrared laser to an upper portion of the transmission unit.